, 1887-12-01

=
accept the presidency, have. at his
They -ay that Elijah Smith will re-
sign the presidency OF the o. r. and
y. and the other companies con
trolled 10y the Oregon Trans CONT
mental.
TH.SI<SGIEINv.
pr,gorvou.l
1t is go years since thanksgiving
day was first observed. The little
hand of pilgrims upon the rocky
shores Of Massachusetts who met on
that observance of the day had no
thought of establishing precedent,
much less OF originating a great ma
tionai festival. The little colony had
suffered severely from hunger and
been Ill imminent peril Of death by
starvation. Instead of finding a
home IN mild climate, where the
soil was rich and easily worked, as
they had been led to expect from the
accounts sept to England by the Viz
ginia colony, they had found their lot
cast in land of ice and stones.
They must have committed the seed
to the soil at the close Of the terrible
winter of 1621-22 with fear and
trembling. If it should die in the
ground, OF the crop be smitten by an
early frost, their outlook for winter
would be gloomy IN the extreme.
But the harvest, If not prolific, was
ample for their needs. with 4 good
margin for the next seasons seeding
and what was more, it was now fair
ly demonstrated that their new home
capable of supporting life by tillage
Such an almost infinite relief would
move far les religious community is
to devout gratitude to the Lord of
the harvest for his goodness. aud it
Is not strange that the impression
was so strong that the observance
grew into 4 custom and was perpetu-
ated wherever their descendants
were the dominant people.
\ Thanksgiving proclamation was
ISSUED by President Lincoln in 1862
but it was specia! rather than general,
As national holiday, Thanksgiving
dates from 1863. That memorable
first proclamation did not emanate
from Il New Englandcr, but from a
Southern born Western man. In
this, as in many other Instances, a
local custom grew into a national
custom, not in Difference to or through
the direct influence of the locality,
but because the nation recognized its
adaptation to the whole country
Abraham Lincoln did not issue that
proclamation OF twety-four years ago
because it was an honored and popu-
lar New England custom and there
were Il good many sons of the Puri
tans scattered all over the land. but
because til" country was then i'll a
condition rendering it emincntly fit
that it should recognize the higher
power which determines the destinics
OF mankind,
The year 1863 wos not one OF spe-
cial brightness i'll orr national his
tory. On the contrary II WIS III some
respects the gloomiest OF al the gears
since the United States was added 10
the family OF nations. In 1862 there
had been terrible slaughters and dis =
appointments on the Potomac. cul-
minating ID the second Bull Run and
Antietam, the year when Mcclellan
and Hooker and Pope, one after an
other i'll quick succession. were
weighed in the balance and found
wanting in the elements of military
leadership. Gen Grant had indeed
given tha country 4 taste of his gen
Ius, but not enough TO center the
hopes of the people upon him There
was profound anxiety permeatinS
the public mind. Politically the ont q
look was unpropitious. State after
state had III effect passed a vote of
censurc uyon the administration; at
least the result of the elections of
1862 showed that the people were in
fault nnding mood. Not only New
York and Indiana had afforded aid
and comfort to the common enemy,
but even Air. Lincoln'S own state of
Illinois had proclaimed by its ballot
dissatisfaction with him and disre-
gard of the dying injunction of his
great competitor, Douglas. Tho tide
was turning in October, 1863, but our
national thanksgiving day was born
OF disaster rather than of success :.
and had in it Il strong tinge OF that
melancholy which is marked char
acteristie of the interior life of Lin
coin himself. That memorable docu-
ment breathed the spirit of depend
ence upon Providence and recognized
the religious element III :he necessi
ties of "a great people at all times, but
more especially in national crisis.
SO the festival of Thanksgiving has
been established as a national insti.
tuition. President Washington did.
indeed, appoint November 26, 1889,
"a day Of general thanksgiving
throughout the Union;" but himself
and his next successors did not con
tInue 1t. As a national institution,
therefore Ii datns from 1861